This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com

Depending on your age (kids may need them more often) and whether you have a lot of decay or bone loss (that affects older folks), your dentist will suggest when and how often you need X-rays. A full set of dental X-rays is appropriate if you haven’t been to the dentist in more than a year. They let your dentist see things that aren’t apparent when doing a standard exam and cleaning, such as the extent of gum disease, bone decay, decay under fillings or caps and even tumours.

The risks from dental X-rays have decreased, and they now deliver the lowest dose of radiation of any medical X-ray. Two to four images of your back teeth expose you to about 0.005 millisieverts of radiation. Nonetheless, if you’re going to be zapped, you should be given (not offered? ask for it!) a lead bib and a thyroid shield/collar to wear. Generally, pregnant women should skip any X-rays if possible.

By comparison, the average North American is exposed to 3.1 millisieverts from the environment annually. Various estimates conclude that 50 per cent to 97 per cent of this background radiation comes from natural sources (cosmic rays, radon gas and radioactive atoms in the upper atmosphere). The rest may come from nuclear power plants, nuclear medical facilities and procedures, leftover pollution from nuclear bomb tests and other sources.

We understand your concern about a lifetime’s accumulated exposure to radiation. That’s a valid point, but there are bigger sources of exposure that you can control (like opting for MRIs instead of CT scans, if possible). If having a dental X-ray every couple of years reveals an infection or disease — periodontal disease can damage your heart and worsen diabetes — we think the rewards far outweigh the risks.

I’ve always been active, and I don’t eat any more than I used to, but year after year (I’m 65 now) I gain a few pounds! Why does that happen?

There are a lot of possible explanations. Your metabolic rate may have slowed, in large part because you’re not expending as much physical energy as before. Take a look at time spent exercising and simply moving around (that accounts for a lot of calories burned). And your eating habits may have changed. Have you tired of cooking, so you’re eating prepared foods or going out? That amps up calorie intake right away. You also may be insulin-resistant and not know it, which can make you vulnerable to an increased appetite and packing on a few pounds. Ask your doctor to check and see if any other health issues are affecting your weight. But if there are no hidden factors, your weight gain may have to do with the colour of your fat.

A new study reveals that as we age, our brown fat — that’s the good kind — becomes less thermogenic, generating less heat, burning fewer calories and becoming less effective at helping to regulate insulin use and glucose uptake; all of that makes it harder to lose and easier to gain weight. Another result: an increase in stores of white fat around your belly and thighs. This type of fat contributes to inflammation, insulin resistance, dementia and heart disease.

But you’re never too old to achieve a younger RealAge by preventing or reversing age-related weight creep. The key is to increase aerobic exercise and, especially, strength training. You’ll decrease insulin resistance, burn disease-promoting visceral belly fat (white) and turn some of your white fat brown (or at least beige). Our suggestion: Sweat at least three times a week for 60 minutes: Try walking (every 10 minutes, kick in an intense pace for 2.5 minutes), swimming, cycling, jogging or playing tennis. Do strength/muscle building two to three times a week for 30 minutes with stretch bands and hand weights; or combine aerobics with muscle-building in a kick-boxing or spin class.

Ask health questions at doctoroz.com. Drs. Oz and Roizen are authors of YOU(R) Teen: Losing Weight. Order it at StarStore.ca

More from the Toronto Star & Partners

LOADING

Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or distribution of this content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. To order copies of Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com